


EreAnnie Week (2016)

by Dorminchu



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Canon Era, EreAnnie Week, EreAnnie Week (2016), F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Trainee Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-27 02:58:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6266788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorminchu/pseuds/Dorminchu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Several days of Eren Jaeger being shipped(?) with Annie Leonhardt. About as self explanatory as it sounds. Rating may go up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	EreAnnie Week (2016)

** ereani week 2016 **

** by Dorminchu **

* * *

_ DAY I - Silence _

_. _

The first thing Eren learns about Annie, besides how to fight tolerably well—enough, at least, that she stops looking disapprovingly at him when he misses a blow or gets thrown on his arse—is that she's not very conversational. He can't say he's all that surprised, though perhaps a little disappointed. She's never really talked with him except when she's barking orders like one of the instructors.

But it's pretty refreshing, too. The only other girl he's really ever talked to this extent with is Mikasa, but she's different. And Annie is not family, too cold and distant to be characterised as a friend, like Armin. She doesn't do much but look bored with the world around her. The top of her head barely reaches his shoulder when they stand together at headcount and she somehow manages to remain very much intimidating.

Despite all this, Eren finds himself seeking her out more often during hand-to-hand sessions, and she doesn’t dismiss him like she used to. Armin and Mikasa are quick to notice his changed demeanour, and others are less kind about it—yet Eren finds he doesn’t mind as much as he would have a few weeks ago. There’s something exhilarating about finding someone else to hold conversations with. Sometimes he fancies if she feels the same, but then he remembers that she’s a mystery to everyone.

* * *

It’s early on in the afternoon, and the trainees have some rare free-time. Most stay indoors, playing cards and studying their textbooks, or indulging in idle chatter. It’s Annie who finds Eren this time, invites him to train in the mostly-empty training field, and about six minutes to the meeting they’re sparring in the dry summer heat. Presently they’ve stopped, not just because his nose is broken, but because it’s been a pretty hot day and she’d acknowledged herself to be woozy. The earth is dry under their boots and he feels perspiration gather sticky under all the wrinkles of his military dress.

"I thought you hated me, you know," he admits, but it comes out thick with blood and saliva.

She says: “Excuse me?” He spits, repeats the statement.

Annie doesn't say anything for a long time. He’s given up waiting for her to respond when she takes a swig of water from her canteen, wipes her mouth. She shrugs and says: "It hardly matters what my opinion is of you. That won't save your life in a fight."

She's cold, sure, but not quite cruel; it’s almost familiar how they talk with one another, and Eren doesn’t realise he’s smiling until she asks him why. He wipes his bleeding nose and stands, tells her that he’s grateful she’s looking out for him.

Annie throws him a funny look he’s sure she’s never given anyone, and asks what he thinks he’s playing at.

“I’m serious,” he replies, but she knocks the wind out of him anyway. He doesn’t care. Gets back up and asks if they can try it again, the block.

Annie’s not a fool, but she’s unforgiving. She lets him fail, fall to his knees and elbows, smudged with dirt and dry blood until he understands what she’s trying to show him, and when he does, it’s a glorious exaltation that carries him through the day, and the next. She offers him her hand and he takes it as a sign of respect.

Maybe one day, he thinks, if we survive long enough, we can talk.


End file.
